'Cause I'm a Million Miles Away, chapter 2
Billie Joe's House
June 5, 1990
Everyone knows about the graduation parties the day after graduation itself - and Mike was more than delighted to be woken up the next morning by Ollie.
"Mikey, you have a letter," She said, clicking her feet on the floor while I rolled off my couch.
Mike rose from his bed.
"I never get mail." he took the letter from Billie's mother.
"You're unloved." Billie said prudely under his covers, obviously mad his sleep was disrupted.
"Graduation party? Bring your friends? Ooooh," he said, grinning.
"And it's being hosted by Anna." It apparently caught Billie's attention, because he jumped off his mattress laying on the floor and snatched the card from Mike.
Billie Joe was going out with a very pretty girl named Anna. I'd never really been fond of her, since all they really did was stick their tongues down each other's's throats. But then again, I'm more of a hug-kiss romantic type. She was pure white blonde with blue eyes. I couldn't help but stare when I saw her - I wish I was like her. I was a ratty 19 year old with frizzy short brown hair. Not exactly attractive on the streets.
"Hmph, inviting you, but not me? How rude," Billie said, frowning.
"You're the one who FARTS whenever you're around her."
"You burp," Billie said, excusing himself to the bathroom hooked to the room. Mike turned his attention to me.
"Wanna go?"
I hesitated. Usually, if I ever went to a party with these two, it either turned into a disaster or they would get so toasted they'd make out with each other, AND lose their girlfriends while at it. But hey, I'm not going out with either of them, so why not?
"Sure,"
In five minutes Ollie came up the stairs with a plate of toast and ham. Mike and I thanked her, while Billie insisted on wolfing down half the meal before we could even look at it to figure out what we were about to eat - then he thanked her. This earned a smack on the face and a small pep talk, followed by an extra plate of eggs for us.
"I can't BELIEVE you're still treated like you're five years old," Mike giggled, spinning some eggs on his plastic fork. Billie Joe scowled, making sure to quickly change the subject.
"When's the party?"
"7, tonight."
I looked around the room. I'd never really paid much attention to it, but his room was REALLY messy. There was a ceiling fan on top of Mike's bed, which had a tshirt hanging off one of the fan rods. The walls were yellow from all the cigarettes smoked in that room, as well as ashes covering the floor. The floor was stained a black-ish color, but I'm not quite sure WHERE that came from, probably a fire. The curtains were hanging off the rods, which were hung on the wall crookedly.
I stared into space, not even listening to the argument Billie Joe and Mike were having about Anna. It felt like the whole world just started getting bigger, and my eyes kept getting wider. Mike pushed me.
"Dude, quit tripping," he said, laughing.
"Sorry... Need sleep..."
"Go ahead, we're going to try to figure out where this party's being held."
I went off to sleep for a few hours.
---
Soon, it was time to go for the party. I took a quick shower, put on my Ramones shirt and studded belt and followed Mike and Billie Joe to this crappy little shack a block away from a crack house.
"Wow, what a great place to hold a party," I said bitterly, reading Mike's expression - disgust.
"Whatever, a party's a party," Billie said, trying to make me go. The only time I've ever been seen in public with the guys is outside after school or at Gilman - otherwise, half these people never knew I'd exsisted.
Billie Joe greeted his girlfriend with a kiss. I'd never met here. I'd seen her with Billie before, but I'd never jumped out of my cave and said hello. She scanned me expectantly, stopping to look at my Ramones shirt.
"Hey, nice shirt," she said, locking hands with Billie. She looked at Mike.
"She your girlfriend?"
Billie laughed out loud, and Mike instantly turned red and looked at his feet.
"No," he mumbled, rolling his eyes.
Wow, straightforward, ain't he?
"Hm," she said, eyeing me suspiciously and going into the house, offering Billie Joe a beer and sitting down.
As I walked in, I was greeted by the scent of drugs, alcohol, and the nasty image of Billie and Anna making out on the couch. Mike wrinkled his nose and sat on the couch next to Billie, who's shirt was slowly coming off. I sat next to him, sipping a beer on the table.
"Damn, get a room, Joe," Mike said, looking over at me. "You smell like beer, Sam."
"Duh," I said, laughing to myself. He kept striking up stupid conversations with me until Billie and Anna left, finally, to a room.
"They're... Nuts," Mike said, putting his feet on the table.
Ever had a moment, where you put your hand down on a couch, hoping somebody holds it? The moment when everything that happened between you and your best friend just crashes down on top of you. Your heart flutters and your stomach turns nearly upside-down.
I felt like my brain was frying. The sky was turning dark and the music was only getting quieter, if was like all I could hear was myself breathing and my heartbeat. For a second I felt like I'd gone completely nuts. Mike waved his hand in front of my face, and I turned it to look at him.
"What?" I wasn't exactly sure about what I'd just said, but I knew it had come out as something nonsense.
"Your breath is nast-ee. Beer and cigarettes all mixed together."
"Really?"
Once again, I didn't realize what I'd just said. I also didn't realize how much I'd drank already that night, and complete chaos unfolded when he started cracking up.
"What'd I say?" I slurred, trying to get him to answer me by patting his shoulder lightly.
"You just asked me if I wanted 'to taste'."
I mentally backhanded myself, because I'd probably hit his face if I were to do it in real life. Remind me to stop drinking. He smiled at me thoughtfully. I knew damn well he hadn't drunken or smoked a damn thing yet that night, but he kissed me anyway.
I couldn't keep up with myself, I felt like I was having a traumatic arrest... Everything just stopped.
It was short, but it seemed like hours. He pulled away and looked at his hands, bending over, elbows on his knees. Half the kids in the room were pointing, and some laughter, and some running off to tell Billie, wherever he was. I smacked myself, realizing what just happened could ruin our friendship for ever... Or get me kicked out of my own house.
"Sam?"
I looked up from my slouch. "What?"
"We should go."
I agreed, delighted we were leaving. I didn't feel like staying around the group anymore, at least near Billie Joe, because deep down I knew he was going to either kill me or use this as blackmail somehow. If I had to explain, Mike's kiss turned me completely sober. Everything stopping spinning and I could hold my hand up in front of my face without thinking it was somebody else's.
"I'm sorry," Mike apologized, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "I shouldn't have done that, it was stupid, and I'm an idiot,"
I stopped him. We were walking down the cracked pavement, leaving the party. The music was getting lower with every step we took.
"You aren't an idiot," I said, trying to keep him from beating himself up for this. "I'm not sure you should have DONE it, but..."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry..."
I looked at my feet. It seemed like looking at your feet was a popular thing to do today - lots of shoe inspection.
"I don't know, Mike. I didn't want that because Billie would get mad, but you kissing me," I smiled, putting an arm around him, in a friend's perspective. "Not so sure about that either."
He forced a smile. "So I still have a chance?"
"Maybe."
June 5, 1990
Everyone knows about the graduation parties the day after graduation itself - and Mike was more than delighted to be woken up the next morning by Ollie.
"Mikey, you have a letter," She said, clicking her feet on the floor while I rolled off my couch.
Mike rose from his bed.
"I never get mail." he took the letter from Billie's mother.
"You're unloved." Billie said prudely under his covers, obviously mad his sleep was disrupted.
"Graduation party? Bring your friends? Ooooh," he said, grinning.
"And it's being hosted by Anna." It apparently caught Billie's attention, because he jumped off his mattress laying on the floor and snatched the card from Mike.
Billie Joe was going out with a very pretty girl named Anna. I'd never really been fond of her, since all they really did was stick their tongues down each other's's throats. But then again, I'm more of a hug-kiss romantic type. She was pure white blonde with blue eyes. I couldn't help but stare when I saw her - I wish I was like her. I was a ratty 19 year old with frizzy short brown hair. Not exactly attractive on the streets.
"Hmph, inviting you, but not me? How rude," Billie said, frowning.
"You're the one who FARTS whenever you're around her."
"You burp," Billie said, excusing himself to the bathroom hooked to the room. Mike turned his attention to me.
"Wanna go?"
I hesitated. Usually, if I ever went to a party with these two, it either turned into a disaster or they would get so toasted they'd make out with each other, AND lose their girlfriends while at it. But hey, I'm not going out with either of them, so why not?
"Sure,"
In five minutes Ollie came up the stairs with a plate of toast and ham. Mike and I thanked her, while Billie insisted on wolfing down half the meal before we could even look at it to figure out what we were about to eat - then he thanked her. This earned a smack on the face and a small pep talk, followed by an extra plate of eggs for us.
"I can't BELIEVE you're still treated like you're five years old," Mike giggled, spinning some eggs on his plastic fork. Billie Joe scowled, making sure to quickly change the subject.
"When's the party?"
"7, tonight."
I looked around the room. I'd never really paid much attention to it, but his room was REALLY messy. There was a ceiling fan on top of Mike's bed, which had a tshirt hanging off one of the fan rods. The walls were yellow from all the cigarettes smoked in that room, as well as ashes covering the floor. The floor was stained a black-ish color, but I'm not quite sure WHERE that came from, probably a fire. The curtains were hanging off the rods, which were hung on the wall crookedly.
I stared into space, not even listening to the argument Billie Joe and Mike were having about Anna. It felt like the whole world just started getting bigger, and my eyes kept getting wider. Mike pushed me.
"Dude, quit tripping," he said, laughing.
"Sorry... Need sleep..."
"Go ahead, we're going to try to figure out where this party's being held."
I went off to sleep for a few hours.
---
Soon, it was time to go for the party. I took a quick shower, put on my Ramones shirt and studded belt and followed Mike and Billie Joe to this crappy little shack a block away from a crack house.
"Wow, what a great place to hold a party," I said bitterly, reading Mike's expression - disgust.
"Whatever, a party's a party," Billie said, trying to make me go. The only time I've ever been seen in public with the guys is outside after school or at Gilman - otherwise, half these people never knew I'd exsisted.
Billie Joe greeted his girlfriend with a kiss. I'd never met here. I'd seen her with Billie before, but I'd never jumped out of my cave and said hello. She scanned me expectantly, stopping to look at my Ramones shirt.
"Hey, nice shirt," she said, locking hands with Billie. She looked at Mike.
"She your girlfriend?"
Billie laughed out loud, and Mike instantly turned red and looked at his feet.
"No," he mumbled, rolling his eyes.
Wow, straightforward, ain't he?
"Hm," she said, eyeing me suspiciously and going into the house, offering Billie Joe a beer and sitting down.
As I walked in, I was greeted by the scent of drugs, alcohol, and the nasty image of Billie and Anna making out on the couch. Mike wrinkled his nose and sat on the couch next to Billie, who's shirt was slowly coming off. I sat next to him, sipping a beer on the table.
"Damn, get a room, Joe," Mike said, looking over at me. "You smell like beer, Sam."
"Duh," I said, laughing to myself. He kept striking up stupid conversations with me until Billie and Anna left, finally, to a room.
"They're... Nuts," Mike said, putting his feet on the table.
Ever had a moment, where you put your hand down on a couch, hoping somebody holds it? The moment when everything that happened between you and your best friend just crashes down on top of you. Your heart flutters and your stomach turns nearly upside-down.
I felt like my brain was frying. The sky was turning dark and the music was only getting quieter, if was like all I could hear was myself breathing and my heartbeat. For a second I felt like I'd gone completely nuts. Mike waved his hand in front of my face, and I turned it to look at him.
"What?" I wasn't exactly sure about what I'd just said, but I knew it had come out as something nonsense.
"Your breath is nast-ee. Beer and cigarettes all mixed together."
"Really?"
Once again, I didn't realize what I'd just said. I also didn't realize how much I'd drank already that night, and complete chaos unfolded when he started cracking up.
"What'd I say?" I slurred, trying to get him to answer me by patting his shoulder lightly.
"You just asked me if I wanted 'to taste'."
I mentally backhanded myself, because I'd probably hit his face if I were to do it in real life. Remind me to stop drinking. He smiled at me thoughtfully. I knew damn well he hadn't drunken or smoked a damn thing yet that night, but he kissed me anyway.
I couldn't keep up with myself, I felt like I was having a traumatic arrest... Everything just stopped.
It was short, but it seemed like hours. He pulled away and looked at his hands, bending over, elbows on his knees. Half the kids in the room were pointing, and some laughter, and some running off to tell Billie, wherever he was. I smacked myself, realizing what just happened could ruin our friendship for ever... Or get me kicked out of my own house.
"Sam?"
I looked up from my slouch. "What?"
"We should go."
I agreed, delighted we were leaving. I didn't feel like staying around the group anymore, at least near Billie Joe, because deep down I knew he was going to either kill me or use this as blackmail somehow. If I had to explain, Mike's kiss turned me completely sober. Everything stopping spinning and I could hold my hand up in front of my face without thinking it was somebody else's.
"I'm sorry," Mike apologized, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "I shouldn't have done that, it was stupid, and I'm an idiot,"
I stopped him. We were walking down the cracked pavement, leaving the party. The music was getting lower with every step we took.
"You aren't an idiot," I said, trying to keep him from beating himself up for this. "I'm not sure you should have DONE it, but..."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry..."
I looked at my feet. It seemed like looking at your feet was a popular thing to do today - lots of shoe inspection.
"I don't know, Mike. I didn't want that because Billie would get mad, but you kissing me," I smiled, putting an arm around him, in a friend's perspective. "Not so sure about that either."
He forced a smile. "So I still have a chance?"
"Maybe."
